Secrets
by Ensign Jamie Hamilton
Summary: Written before "Night," Voyager finds something in and area of space with no stars.


Star Trek Voyager

"Secrets"

by

Jamie Hamilton 

"Captain's log, Stardate 8240.7 we are traveling through an area of space without any star systems. The cold grip of isolation has unsettled the crew. It's the first time in command that I've been afraid, I'm not afraid of alien attack or mutiny, but of what lurks in the light-years of darkness that surrounds the ship." Janeway finished her log and sipped her tea in her ready room. Her windows show no stars passing by at warp speed. Just then Tuvok calls Janeway over the COMM. 

"Captain Janeway to the bridge please" He says in a dry Vulcan way. Janeway enters the bridge and Ensign Kim speaks to her.

"Captain. We're picking up a reading in this sector, It's the only thing I'm seen in weeks, It appears to be a ship." 

"Do you have a visual?" asks Captain. Janeway.

"Yes Captain. but it will have to be digitally enhanced, that will degrade it's quality."

"Do it, on screen" Janeway orders. Harry complies and displayed on screen is a blurred pixelated image of a saucer shaped object. "Well I'll be dammed, it must be another ship, I've never seen anything like it before. Set course to intercept, warp six" 

[Open credits]

[ opens with Voyager approaching the ship, it is silver and saucer shaped, the surface is smooth but dented, there are large holds in the haul in some areas. Voyager is shining light onto it.] 

On the bridge, Tuvok is reciting the readings for the ship "The ship has only one deck, several thousand meters high. I can detect no communications array, no weapons, no shield emitters, no navigation array, no bulkheads of any kind, and NO main computer. It appears to be several hundred years old."

Commander Chakotay interrupts, "According to these atmospheric readings, the environment inside the ship is extremely hostile, Ninty-Nine per cent of the ship is a vacume."

"It is, except for a small area in the center of the ship" Tuvok responds, "It has the appropriate conditions for human life support."

"Harry can you beam an away team to that area?" asks the Captain.

"Yes, Captain" answers Harry. 

"Tom, Harry, come with me to the alien ship!" Janeway points to both of them and enters the turbolift, they follow her in.

Before the doors close, Chakotay objects, "Kathryn don't leave." There is affection in his voice, he is frightened for her. The bridge crew is surprised by Chakotay's addressing of the Captain by her first name.

"Did he just call the Captain, Kathryn?" whispers a nameless crewman to another.

"Transporter room one" Janeway says after a brief pause. Her face shows shock at Chakotay's comment. She doesn't want the crew to think they romantic. They arrive at the Transporter room to find Vorik at the panel. 

"Vorik, no one was scheduled to work this hour!" Says Harry surprised that the Transporter room is manned. 

"That is correct Eng. Kim, I'm not on duty, I am conducting an experiment with the Transporter." responds Vorik in a cold Vulcan voice. "Please fell free to use it as you wish I have altered nothing." As Harry enters the coordinates into the panel, Janeway and Tom gather tricorders, phasers and flashlights. 

"Ready to beam aboard Captain." says Harry as they all step onto the pad. "Energize"

They arrive onboard the craft, in the life-supported area. The area is filled with strange red light. The haul is high above them and the only walls are four feet high and do not surround the entire area. They all take readings. Tom walks to the edge of the area, and looks out into the rest of the ship. 

"There's no reading of a forcefeild, and no walls, how are we protected from the vacume and low gravity? He askes as he takes readings. 

"It's the light, it's got to have something to do with this strange red light. It covers every square inch of the safe area." Harry answers from afar.

Tom is unable to see beond the safe area, he holds his light out into it. A strange object floats into the beam of light, Tom steps back and continues scanning. Farther into the safe area Captain Janeway is inspecting the small walls, her hand shakes as she rubs dust off it. She smiles, fascinated by the ancient spaceship. Tom walks over to her, "It's fascinating isn't it?" she says to him, "some species developed space travel so long before us." 

Tom, uninterested, calmly says, "Sure." Janeway opens her mouth to make an argument. Harry interrupts them.

"Captain! You better come see this!" Harry yells from the center of the area. They both get up and jog to his position. They meet Harry standing next to a large circle-shaped object, laying on the floor. It is sliver with a small blinking green light on the top. Harry speaks, "It's made of the same metal of the haul, but, um, there are life signs inside, human." 

"That's impossible!" Tom says backing away from the object. 

"Captain, that's not all" continues Harry, "I think this button will open it up" His fingers rest on the button. He looks at Janeway for approval. 

"Do it" she says defiantly. Her, Harry and Tom come closer. Harry presses the button down. The green light stops blinking, a top portion of the object lifts off and flies to the top of the spacecraft, disappearing. Inside the object is a viscous pink liquid, it is slowly draining away. The shape of a human male is slowly appearing out of the liquid. All the liquid is drained away, and the human shivers. He is naked, curled into a fetal position. He turns his head to the them. They stare at him. All three of them with their jaws open. He opens his eyes, the away team gasps. He is truly terrified, he shakes his whole body. Janeway's jaw drops. 

[Commercial lead-in]

Back on Voyager, the boy is asleep on the main bio-bed. He has been clothed in a crewman's undershirt and pants. A small crowd has gathered around him. They watch in awe. The Captain enters and the crowd exits. The doctor is examining him, Janeway asks for a report.

"Well doctor?" she asks.

"The boy is not injured, however once he wakes up I'm sure he won't be happy. As far as I can tell he is a three-hundred and seventy year old Earth male. He's been in some kind of suspended animation since the Silicon Period.(1980's-90's) He has the body and mind of a seventeen-year-old adolescent. I have also analyzed some of the liquid he was in, and the tank as well. The device functioned as an artificial womb, with the liquid as ambeonic fluid. The liquid gave him oxygen and nutrition , but barely."

"He breathed liquid? for a hundred years?" The Captain was shocked.

"Actually one to two hundred years. So you can imagine how weak his muscles are, he may not be able to walk." instructs the doctor, he smiles.

"Wake him, we have to ask some questions, we have to know why he is here." she orders.

"I have not had the opportunity to observe him awake yet, I can not predict his behavior." Warns the doctor. Janeway leans into the bio-bed.

"Wake him." she says looking closely at him. The Doctor sighs and injects a hypospray blast. The boy wakes immitly and begins to look around fast. He sits up and looks at himself, all his actions are extremely fast and aniouxos. He starts to get off the bed. Janeway touches his shoulder. He screams loudly and acts like her hand has caused an acid burn on his skin. He rubs his shoulder, screaming and backs way to the farthest place away from anyone inside the recessed bio-bed area.

"Captain I believe it would be good if you walk away from him slowly" yells the doctor over the boy's shriek. The Captain ignores the doctor and crouches down next to him. 

"It's all-right, you're going to be all-right." she says soothingly. The boy stops rubbing his shoulder and begins flinging his arms around. One hits Janeway in the face. He stands up and starts to run out of the cell. His weak legs give out and he falls to the ground. Janeway runs out of the cell and raises the forcefeild. The boys staggers up and stumbles into the forcefeild. He has stop screaming and is only breathing heavily now. Shocked by the forcefeild, he looks at his hand and presses it against the forcefeild again. He does it again and again all across the cell. He looks at the doctor and calmly retreats back to the bed. He sits and stares at Janeway for a second. He then notices the doctor's instruments. He takes a pointed one and tries to stab the field with it. He inspects the frame around the cell. He punctures the frame with the doctor's instrument. He smiles at Janeway. He punctures the interior wall several times and then kicks large pieces of it in. 

"I believe I may be wrong about his muscle strength." Says the Doctor.

The lights fade and the forcefeild comes down. He runs out into sickbay. Janeway tries to stop him, but he runs her down. He exits sickbay. The doctor calls security and tends to the Captain's injuries.

The boy runs though the halls of the ship, his hair is array and he is sweaty. He sees someone enter a turbolift. He walks to a door near him and enters a crewman's quarters. The boys drops to his knees and stares at the window. The crewman stands up and calls security. The boy stares at the window catatonicly. Tuvok and a security team enters, followed by Janeway. Janeway sits down next to him.

"I'm in space" the boy says his first words. "I'm in space!" The boy repeats as he breaks down and cries. 

"It's all-right," Janeway says, "It's all-right, you're going to be fine." The boy doesn't let her touch him. She motions to the team that the situation is over. They all leave, except the Tuvok, Janeway and the boy. "I think we need to talk a little about your situation." She says getting up and walking back to sickbay. 

"Your human, how can I be in space and what was that magic glass that I broke? Why am I here? Where is my car? I'm sorry I broke your wall. I'm hungry, can I eat something please? I hope I didn't hurt you. My legs hurt" The boys said in a sudden flow of half-understanding.

"Whoa! One question at a time. What can I call you?" Janeway asks relived to be talking to a coherent person.

"My name is James Purcell. What's the deal with you ears man?" He point to Tuvok. 

"I am a Vulcan" responds Tuvok.

"What's a Vulcan?" James asks

"It is difficult to explain, I will tell you later" Tuvok says as they enter sickbay. 

"Sit down James." Janeway instructs. James looks around at the damaged sickbay. 

"Is there somewhere else? I don't like this place." James says his fear and anxiety returning. James looks around again and then at Janeway. 

[Cut to cargo bay two, where a portion of the Borg hardware has been cleared away and a white 1986 Oldsmoble Cutlass Ceria is sitting out of place. Janeway, Tuvok, and James enters.

"Oh wow! My car! Oh thanks. Ah" James looks around the cargo bay, he can't see where they could have driven the car in. "How the hell did you get it in here?"

"We used the Transporter." Janeway says smiling, happy to see the boy not hysterical.

"What's that? and what's all this stuff? (referring to the remaining Borg hardware) and what is the matter with her? He point to 7of9, regenerating her alcove. "Oh and what's your name?"

"James stop! Just answer me this one question and then I'll answer yours. What's the date?"

"March 1st"

"What year?"

James sighs and says, "1998" Janeway stops smiling and looks disappointed.

"No, the year is 2243" Janeway acts as if the saying the words causes her pain. 

"Yea right!" James laughs. Janeway frowns. "Come on, you're lying. . . " the smile fades from his face, he eyes wander the room, he breaths heavily. ". . . Just yesterday I was, I was," He looks right at Janeway, his eyes begging her to tell him it's not true. "I can't remember!" He falls to the floor and begins to chant, "I can't believe it, I can't believe it, . . . " 

[Commercial lead-in]

Back in sickbay Janeway, and The Doctor are talking over James, who is on the main bio-bed again. The room makes him uneasy. "This will measure your brain activity," the Doctor informs as he places a medical device on his head. "This is a hypospray, it will help you relax." The Doctor injects it. "Now, close your eyes and tell me what you see." James' breathing become erratic and he sweats, his heart fells like it's about to bounce out of his chest. He doesn't want to close his eyes, he's afraid of the dark. He can't help it, he's gone. "Tell me what you see," whispers the doctor, as James' vision goes black.

"It's dark, I'm afraid, let me out." says James slowly. 

"It's all-right, no reason to be afraid, tell me more" reassures the Doctor. 

"I'm restrained, I can't move there's something out there, It did this to me," recalls James.

"Who, what do they look like?" asks the Doctor.

"The Grays, Oh my god!, there touching me!" He screams. "AHH! help, get them off please," James looks like in pain. We can see James' thoughts, images of short, three-feet-tall aliens. There short small arms are reaching out to him. There three-fingered hands touch his body, he quivers. His skin shrieks for release from the hell. Their large heads hold large black triangle-shaped eyes. They stare at him blankly.

"Good, now concentrate, on something you love, and all of them will go away," The Doctor instructs. When James does, a smile returns to his face. His love is a sunny day, he is driving fast on a highway, load rock'n'roll music is playing on the car stereo he is surrounded by three other people, his friends. Next to him is a woman, with red hair and a choker caller. In the back seat is a man his age with a short hair cut. "Good, his breathing and heartrate have returned to normal. Now James, tell me what you see." The Doctor instructs. 

I'm driving my friends in my car" James speaks the words slowly. Suddenly James' smile vanishes, his face returns to the painful look of just a moment ago. As James speaks we see what he sees. "All my friend are gone, It's dark, the car just died, oh why won't you start..." James begins to cry silently. "It's late, I'm scared, something's behind me, in the sky, It's coming towards me." James opens his mouth and breaths fast and load. "It's stopping, oh god!, the light is" at this time we see James's car struck by a beam of light from the saucer. James opens his eyes suddenly and sits-up, clutching his chest, were he had been struck, in his memory. He rests his hand on the over-body scanner. He looks at the crowd that re-entered sickbay. Finally he looks at the Doctor and says, "They took me, those dammed alien freaks took me!" His fear turns to anger. He takes the items off his forehead and throws them on the floor. He climbs off the bio-bed without letting the over-body scanner down. As he starts to exit sickbay, the crowd parts for him, some peeking over others to get a look. He exits, followed by the Captain.

"Is he really from 20th century earth?" asks one crewmember to another. 

In cargo bay two Seven has finished regenerating. Captain Janeway and James are siting close to his car. 

"So everyone I ever knew is dead?" James asks.

"Yes, but you are alive, you can still live your life, here on Voyager." Janeway says. 

"I want to go home!" He says demandingly.

"So do I, Voyager is over 60 years from Earth, we're out of contact with home, we're isolated from the Federation. 

"So the Federation is the government on Earth now, what happened to the United States?"

"The United States' government was distroyed during the third world war. And the Federation covers many planets." 

"Whoa That sucks." James says uncareingly. "So if we're in space, them how come I'm not floating around?"

"Artificial gravity."

"Oh, OK, so if you're cut-off from the what did you call it?"

"Starfleet"

"So you're cut-off from Starfleet, how do you get food?" Janeway gets up and walks James over the wall, where Seven's replacator unit is.

"This a replacator, it gives us all the food we want. Are you hungry?" she asks. "It can make you anything you want, Just ask."

"How?"

"Like this, what would you like?"

"How about a cheeseburger?"

"Computer, one cheeseburger." Magically it appears in the replacator, James's eyes open wide and his jaw drops.

"Well I'll be dammed." he says in amazement. He takes it from the replacator and inspects it. Quickly he eats it. 

"Captain Janeway to the Bridge " Chakotay says over the COMM. She taps her communicator.

"On my way." She says, "You stay here, If you need anything, ask her..." She points to Seven, she agnolages with a nod. "...I'll be back." James agrees and continues to eat his cheeseburger. Janeway leaves. 

"So what's your story?" James asks Seven. Seven looks displeased.

"I was assimilated and raised by an alien species called the Borg." She responds coldly.

"Neat! I was raised by my parents and abducted by Aliens!" James says, hopeing to make Seven smile. He doesn't succeed.

Back on the Bridge Chakotay is briefing Janeway on the investigation of the saucer. 

"It's the most alien alien ship I've ever seen," Chakotay says with a smile. "Tom's away team gathered this information in environmental suits. Less than one percent of the ship was fit for Human life.

"This was gathered in the dark area that surrounded us?"

"Yes, Tom's team found the car that is in cargo bay two.." 

"It's a 1986 Oldsmoble, an old gas-burning, road vehicle!" interrupts Tom with a gittly smile.

"Thank you Tom, they also found some of the boy's personal belongings and they inspected the ship for it's owners. They sent these visuals." Chakotay nodes at Harry, who puts them on screen. The bridge crew stares at the rotting remains. The alien's large head is half gone, its eyes falling in. It's small ribs are exposed. "I think that pretty much proves the boy's story." The next visual is a table with restraints and a mechanical arm above it. "This was probably where the boy was tortured." 

"What were the personal belongings that they found?" Janeway asks. Chakotay taps on a PADD, visuals of the items appear on the screen.

"Many Idems were around the car, some clothing, a collection of audio disks and a..." He stops and turns to Tom, "Tom what did you call the small black box?"

"It's a Powerbook laptop computer, powerful back in the late 20th century." Tom responded.

"Amazing! All those things hardly aged!" Janeway observed. 

"Yes, we don't know how yet. The ship has been abandoned for decades." Chakotay explanation is interrupted by load music on the COMM system. The crew is surprised are doesn't respond for several seconds. Chakotay and Janeway speak in unison, 

"Harry, what's going on here?" Harry looks at them both in confusion. He quickly turns to his controls. The transmission is coming from cargo bay two. I can cut it off, do you. . . ."

"YES!" Chakotay and Janeway yell in unison again. Harry does so and the music stops. 

"Mr. Paris, come with me, I think it's time Mr. Purcell learned the ships rules."

In cargo bay two, James is in a Jeffrey's tube with his Discman, and several starfleet tools, wearing his own cloths. Seven is still at her alcove working on a project. Many of the items recovered by the away team are surrounding the car. Janeway and Paris step in front of the tube. 

"Mr. Purcell, we need to talk." says Janeway almost ordering him. 

"Yeeess?!," James says and exits the tube, "What's up?" he asks.

"You disturbed the entire ship, misused the COMM system. Why did you do that?" 

"Oh come on, I don't even know what I was doing! I had no Idea what would happen!"

"It was against ship's protocol. If your going to continue to live on this ship, and you have little choice, your going to have to accept our rules." She says in a Captain's voice.

"That hottie over there told me she disobeyed orders and all she got was her privilege to work revoked." Seven looks over her shoulder, but doesn't make any non-verbal communication. Tom starts to sway away from the Captain, towards the car. "Look I'm been trapped in a tank you over 300 years, and you wake me up, tell me everyone and everything I ever knew is dead or gone! Then you parade me around the is ship and hardly tell me anything that happened in the last 30 decades and lock me in the dullest part of this place! This is all I got!" James spreads his arms to show the car and it's surroundings. "I'm a little pissed!"

"Lt. Paris give Mr. Purcell an A-class tour of the ship, show him everything." Paris looks up from is present position above the car. 

"Everything Captain!?" Paris asks returning to her side. 

"Answer any questions Mr. Purcell might have about the past. Paris begins to leave. "Oh and Mr. Paris, save the Holodeck for last." The Captain orders.

"I, I Captain" Paris replies. He and James walk out of Cargo bay two. The two of them are alone, they walk to a turbolift. "So you like rock'n'roll, huh?" He says uneasily. 

"Yea, don't you have that in the 24th century? Or did the soulless minions of orthodoxy kill that too?" They enter the turbolift.

"Well I don't really listen to music, but there are many pieces of music stored in the computer. This is called a turbolift, we take it to go almost anywhere on the ship. Engineering.'" They soon arrive at engineering. People are walking everywhere, someone is at every screen, it is a very busy place. James looks up and around as if he had just entered a store with everything he'd ever wanted in it. Tom finds B'llana and introduces her to James. 

"Hello, what do you think of the future?" B'llana asks.

"It's great, what's with you forehead, and what the hell is that?!" James says frightened as an alien officer with blue skin and a line down his face passes. B'llana answers,

"He's a bowlin and I'm half Klingon. Tom, did you tell him about first contact?" 

"No, we'd better do that before we meet Nelix, can I use this console?" Tom asks.

"Sure knock yourself out" B'llana responds and returns to work. For the next four hours they spend there, time shows as engineering gets quieter and the crew changes, soon they are almost alone. 

"Whoa it's almost time to go to sleep, I don't think I can show you anything else tonight." Tom says suddenly releasing the time. He and James get up and leave Engineering. "We need to find you some quarters. I sleep on deck three, I'll try to find you something on that deck. They soon find a room, and Tom shows him how to use everything. They say goodnight, and James tries to go to sleep. He doesn't though, he is too afraid. After a lot of tossing and turning, he gets up and walks out of the room. He takes a turbolift to cargo-bay two and gets into his car. He takes an emergency blanket out of the trunk and falls asleep in the back seat. 

{Roll credits}

KICK ASS SHOW!


End file.
